What I’m looking for in tonight’s speech

I’ve spent most of the day amazed by the response to my Kos diary, which spent all day at the top of the rec list, now at over 1,400 comments.? Wow.? I’m not really going to have a lot to say about the decision until I see the speech, but as Ohio’s most loud mouthed foreign policy blog dude, here’s what I’m looking for tonight.

Allies – Whatever Barack decides to do in Afghanistan will fail or succeed based largely on the involvement of NATO, the UN, Pakistan, and other allies on the ground.? I’m watching closely for any remarks on that front.

Timetable – Word is out that Barack will put a 3 year timeline on the war.? I think this is a good thing, but I want to see how he got to that timeline.

Process – I’m interested in how Barack details his decision-making.? This will probably be the part of the speech most directly different than anything Bush would have ever said.

Vision – Not many people can hit a home run on this front like Barack Obama, but in this speech, on this issue, he really needs to make the case for American support, using all his skills to their utmost.? The long term support of the American public will be directly tied to how Barack handles that vision in this speech.

Don’t forget to come back here for a live chat during the speech.? I tend to go into tunnel vision on such occasions, so I won’t be the most loquacious chatter in the room, but I’ll be around.